Mr Gove said he wanted salaries to be capped at the same level as the Prime Minister – £142,500 – from September this year.

But today it emerged that he has written to the body that sets teachers’ pay, acknowledging that the cap was too complex to impose at short notice.

“On balance, I have concluded that there is a need to look further at the implementation of a limit as part of a wider review of leadership pay, in the context of the Government’s policy on senior salaries in the public sector,” said the letter, quoted in the Times Educational Supplement.

“As an interim measure, I shall write to relevant bodies about the need to exercise senior pay restraint.”

The School Teachers’ Review Body will be asked to re-examine the cap at a later date.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Artificial caps will almost always create difficulties somewhere. We have to make sure head teachers can be properly rewarded, especially when they are taking on the leadership of several difficult schools.”

According to salary guidelines, the top pay scale for teachers is £109,000, but governors can offer much more in exceptional cases.

The Government’s independent academy schools can also disregard national pay deals to attract the best staff.

Last month, union leaders criticised senior salaries after it emerged Mr Elms, head of Tidemill Primary School in Lewisham, was paid £276,523 in 2009/10.

Officials said the sum was made up of £82,714.37 basic salary, £10,000 for out of hours work and arrears of £9,317 for work done in 2008/09.

He also received payments totalling £102,955 for work he completed as part of the Labour Government's City Challenge programme, aimed at tackling under achievement in disadvantaged areas.